Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-11


catacombs OF Rome, but in one moment the
air OF Heaven bathed from his soul the last
ache. From shipwreck. from dungeon,
from the biting pain of the elm wood rods,
from the sharp sword of the headsman, he
goes into the most brilliant assemblage of
heaven, king among kings, multitudes
OF the sainthood rushing ont and stretch
ing forth hands of welcome; for l do
really think that as on the right hand of
God IS Christ, so on the right hand Of
Christ Is Paul, the second great in heaven.
He changed kings likewise Before the
hour Of death, and up to the last mo-
ment, he was under Nero, the thick -necked,
the cruel-eyed, the iithy -mouthed; the
sculptured features Of that man bringing
down to us to this very day the horrible
possibilities of his nature-seated as he
was amidst sculptured marbles OF Egypt,
under o roof adorned with mother-of-pearl,
in dining-room which by machinery was
kept whirling day and night with most
bewitching magniflcence; his horses stand-
ing in stalls Of solid gold, and the grounds
around his palace lighted at night by its
victims, who had been daubed with tar
and pitch and then set on fire to illumine
the darkness. That was Paul's king. But
the next moment he goes into the realm
of Him whose reign is love, and whose
throne is set on pillars of love, and whose
palace is lighted with love, and whose life
tine is an eternity OF love. When Paul
was leaving so much on this side
THE PILLAR OF MARTYRDaM
to gain 80 much on the other side, do you
wonder at the cheerful valedictory of the
text: ''The time of my departure is at
hand?"
Now, why can not all the old people of
this congregation have the same holy glee
as that aged man had. Charles l., when
he was combing his head, found a gray
hair, and he sent it TO the Queen as a great
joke; but old age is really no joke at all.
For the last forty years you have been
dreading that which ought to have been an
exhiliration. You say you most fear the
struggle at the moment the soul and body
part. But millions have endured that
moment and why not we as well? They
got through with it and so can we. Be-
sides this all medical men agree in saying
that there is probably no struggle at all at
the last mOment-not so much pain as the
prick OF a pin, the seeming signs of distress
being altogether involuntary. But you
say; 1T is the uncertainty of the future"
Now, child of God, do not play the infidel.
After God has filed the Bible till it can
hold no more with stories OF the good
things ahead, better not talk about uncer-
tainties.
But you say: Il can not bear to think
of parting from friends here" II you are
old, you have more friends in heaven than
here. Just take the census. Take some
large sheet of paper and begin TO record the
names of those who have emigrated to the
other shore; the companions of your school
days, your early business associates, the
friends OF mid-life, and those who more
recently went away. Can it be that they
have been gone 50 long you do not care
any more about them, and you do not want
their society? Oh, no! There have been
days when you have felt that you could
not endure it another moment away from
their blessed companionship. They have
gone. You say you would not like to
bring them back TO this world of trouble,
even if you had the power. 1t would not
do to trust you. God would not give you
resurrection power. Before tomorrow
morning you would be rattling at the
GATES OF THE CEMETERY,
crying TO the departed: Come back to the
cradle where you slept! Come back to the
hall where you used to play! Come back to
the table where you used to sit!' and there
would be great burglary in heaven. No,
no! God will not trust you with resurrec-
ton power; but He compromises the mat
ter, and says: "Iou Can not bring them
where you are, but you can 90 where they
are" They are more lovely now than
ever. Were they beautiful here, they are
more beautiful there.
Beside that, it is more healthy there for
you than here, aged man; better climate
there than these hot summers and cold win
ters and late springs; better hearing; better
eyc-sight; more tonic in the air; more per-
tune in the bloom; more sweetness in the
song. Do yOu not feel, aged man, some
times, as though you would like to get
your arm and ioot free? DO yOu not feel
as though you would like to throw away
spectaCles and canes aud crutches? Would
you not like to feel the spring and elastic
When the point at which you start from
this world is old age, and the point to
which you go is eternal iuveneScence, aged
man, clap your hands at the anticipation,
aud say, in perfect rapture of soul The
time of my departure is at hand"
Iremark, again, all those ought to feel
this Joy of the text who have holy curios-
ity to know what is beyond this earthly
terminus. And who has not any curiosity
about it? Paul, suppose, had the most
satisfactory view of heaven, and he says:
1T doth not yet appear what we shall be. "
1t is like looking through broken tele-
scope: "Now we see through glass dark
ly." Can you tell me any thing about
that heavenly place? You ask me
thousand questions about II that can not
answer. ask you thousand questions
about it that you can not answer. And do
You wonder that Paul was so glad when
MARTYRDOM GAVE HIM CHANCE
to 20 over and make discoveries in that
blessed country?
hope some day, By the grace Of God,
to 90 over and see for myself; hut not now.
No we'll man, no prospered man, | think,
wants to 60 now. But the time will come,
think, when shall 90 over. ! want to
see what they do there, aud want to see
how they do it. do not want to be
looking through the gates ajar forever.
| want them to swing wide open.
There are ten thousand things want
explained-about you, about myself, about
the government of this world, about God,
about everything. We start in a plain
path of what We know, and in minute
come up against high wall Of what We 60
not know. ! wonder how it looks over
there. Somebody tells me it is like paved
city-paved with gold; and another man
tells me it Is like fountain, and il is like
tree, and it is like \ triumphsl process
sion: and the next man meet tells me it
is all figuative. really want to know,
after the body is resurrected, what they
wear and what they eat; and have an i'm
measurable curiosity TO know what il il,
and how it is, and where il is. Columbus
risked his life TO fnd this continent, and.
shall we shudder 10 90 out on 4 voyage of
discovery which shall reveal yaster and
mora brilliant couutrY1 John Franklin